Memorial Day 2013: Walmart Honors Veterans With Job Offers

Impact

Monday was Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor members of our armed forces who gave the ultimate sacrifice protecting our freedom. Walmart decided to honor the fallen by supporting those currently serving in or recently discharged from our armed forces. This support comes in the form of a job offer.

The unemployment rate of returning veterans between the ages 18–24 is estimated to be over 20%. The average unemployment rate for this age group is said to be around 15%. The national unemployment rate through April of this year is 7.5%. Clearly, veterans are not getting the help they need to find jobs once they leave military service.

Enter Walmart. The company has committed to hiring 100,000 veterans between now and 2018. This offer includes entry level store positions up through management and specialty career fields at the corporate offices in Arkansas.

This isn’t all Walmart is doing. CEO Bill Simon is personally reaching out to other CEOs encouraging them to commit to hiring veterans. This effort includes partnerships with Goodwill Industries and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Say what you will about this company. I say bravo for setting the example. We need more companies to make hiring veterans a priority.